Up to the present time problems have existed in connection with the food service industry, and in particular, retail establishments which utilize domestic water in the preparation or storage of food and beverages. These problems derive from the fact that water conditioners available on the market which are suitable for residential or commercial use are not adaptable to the fast food and restaurant industry. As a consequence, such establishments rely heavily on the use of the local or domestic water supply with whatever impurities may be present, such as: minerals, gases, organic contaminants, acids, etc.
Commercial or industrial water treatment equipment that can effectively remove all impurities which affect the taste of water are both expensive and bulky to install and operate. The substantial overall size and initial cost, along with the potential safety hazard inherent in storage and handling of the acids employed in regeneration of such units, renders them unsuitable for the small or medium sized retail outlet. On the other hand, the typical residential water softeners are effective in removing minerals and metals from domestic water to improve laundry capabilities and prevent build-up of hard water scale in plumbing and appliances. However, such conditioners are not readily applicable to the food service industry because of the impurities and residue of sodium left in the treated water. Such conditioners typically utilize sodium cation exchangers and generally operate on a three-cycle mode, i.e., service, brining, and rinsing. This is adequate for residental use, but it does not effectively clean impurities from the resins of the exchanger or even completely remove the sodium chloride used in the brining. The consequent sodium residue has a decided adverse effect in food service, since it interferes with carbonation. The sodium residue inhibits absorption of carbon dioxide such that a soft drink mixed from water treated by such a unit is flat instead of sparkling. In addition, the carbon dioxide enhances the taste of the impurities, such as organic matter, gases, acids, etc. which readily pass through the typical residential water softener. This inevitably results in a fountain drink which is flat and has a peculiar, if not unpleasant, taste.
As a consequence of the above, the food service industry has, by necessity, elected, with few exceptions, to utilize untreated water from the local water supply. The impurities in such water create a variety of problems which are expensive to overcome. Frequent cleaning and repair of equipment is necessary to prevent build-up of hard water scale (lime) in coffee makers, hot dog steamers, water-cooled condensers, etc., and increased energy costs are encountered in the operation of such equipment with untreated water. Furthermore, the tastes imparted by the impurities have had to be masked by increased quantites of syrup, coffee, or hot chocolate employed in the preparation of such beverages. For instance, soft drink bottlers, which are able to afford the large and expensive commercial water treatment equipment, typically employ a mixture of six parts water per unit of syrup, while fountain mixed soft drinks typically employ a mixture of 4.5 parts water per unit of syrup.